Device for cleaning telephone-mouthpieces.



No. 652,745. Patented July 3, moo. M. N. CLARKE.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING TELEPHONE MOUTHPIECES.

1 (Application filed Aug. 24, 1899.) (N0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

MARIAN N. CLARKE, OF WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING'TELEPHONEMOUTHPIECESL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent he. 652,745, dated July s, 1906.

Application filed August 241 1899. serial 7 (N0 model-F T0 610% whom it'may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARIAN N. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Cleaning Telephone-Mouthpieces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning the mouthpieces of telephones and for destroying any germ life which may be taken up by the brush or brought in contact therewith.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a telephone with my improved electric cleaning-brush attached. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the brush with the cap=piece of the handle removed. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section through the brush, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the electrodes.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a hollow handle, made of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material and having a screw-threaded end 2, adapted to receive a cap 3. In the opposite end of the handle is fitted a plug 4, made of insulating material and having a central opening 5. The plug is also formed with sockets on either side of the central opening, into which are driven the stems 6 of metal plates 7 and 8, which form the electrodes. The electrodes 7 and 8 are thus securely held in place parallel with each other, and between the plates is inserted a piece of fibrous material 9, preferably felt, which is frictionally held in place by the electrodes. The felt is wider and longer than the electrodes, so that it extends beyond them on three sides, and its inner end abuts against the end of the plug and extends across the opening 5, so that when the handle is filled with a liquid the felt will become saturated by absorption.

The electrodes 7 and 8 are slotted in opposite directions, as shown, for the purpose of a better distribution of the electric current in its passage through thefabric, and said electrodes are electrically connected by means of insulated wires 10 and 10, extending along the outside of the handle to' contact-screws 11 and 12, respectively. These contact-screws extend through aboss 13 at the free end of the eap 3 abuts when the cap is in place. inner face of the cap is fitted with arc-shaped plates'15 and 16, and when screwed down into handle, their heads being flush with the sur: face 14, against which the inner face of the The place upon the handle one of these plates comes in contact with the screw 11, while the other plate comes in contact with the screw The plates 15 and 16 are connected by wires 17'with binding-screws 18 and 19, re-

spectively, secured in the end of the cappiece. The cap may thus be readily removed for the purpose of filling the fountain-handle,

and when replaced the electrical connections will be restored. The wires 10 and 10 may be connected to the electrodes in any suitable manner. As shown, they are connected by means of screws 20, which screw into the electrodes. Being insulated, the wires might be arranged to extend through the tubular handle instead of alongside of it; but for convenience I prefer to arrange them along the outside of the tube, as shown, and bind them on at suitable intervals by cords'or bands 21. After the handle has been filled with a suit able liquid and the cap screwed in place the binding-posts 18 and 19 are connected to a suitable source of electricity, and it is then ready for use. This fluid employed is preferably an antiseptic; but water or. any other fluid may be used to saturate the absorbent material 9, so as to provide a path for the electric current between the electrodes.

In using the device on telephone-mouthpieces the mouthpiece is cleaned by means of the moistened felt brush, and the electricity' flowing through the fabric acts as a germicide upon any living organisms which may be taken up by the felt.

In arranging the device upon a telephone I provide a lever 22, pivoted upon a stud 23 and having a weight 24 at one end and a fork '25 at the opposite end, upon which the hanprimary circuit will be closed, thereby setting the induction-coil in action and sending a high-tension current through the electrodes and the moistened fibrous material until the device is again hung upon the lever.

I prefer as a fibrous material a white felt, which will readily show any accumulation of dirt. The strips of felt being held frictionally in place may be readily removed and replaced by clean ones.

mouthpicces consisting of a handle, a pair of electrodes secured at one end of said handle, wires connecting said electrodes with a suitable source of electricity, and a fibrous material arranged between said electrodes.

2. An instrument for cleaning telephonemouthpieces consisting of a hollow handle adapted to contain a liquid, and having an opening at one end, a pair of electrodes secured to the handle on either side of said opening, wires connecting said electrodes with a suitable source of electricity, and a fibrous material arranged between said electrodes and extending across the opening.

3. An instrument for cleaning telephonemouthpieces consisting of a handle, a pair of electrodes secured at one end of said handle and a fibrous material between said electrodes, in combination with an induction-coil having its secondary winding connected to said electrodes, and its primary winding in circuit with the local battery of a telephone, and a switch for interrupting the primary circuit when the instrument is not in use.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARIAN N. CLARKE.

lVitnesses:

W. L. RAEDER, XVM. O. OLDs. 

